45 fabric manipulation & other techniques to make fabric with texture & patterns

I used to love crafts and painting when I was young. Then my attention turned to fabric and there was no looking back. For me nothing beats fabric and sewing in exploring creativity.

Sewing allows me to play with colour and do all the things and more; maybe more than what I could do when I was painting.What better way than sewing and embroidery and different easy to do fabric manipulation and other techniques to make the pretty textures on fabric – it is beautiful, economical and ticks all my creative boxes .

It is possible to add texture to fabric in a million ways – ok not so much – but more than you can count – I am listing the basic techniques which you can expand and combine, mix and match – whatever you want to do in whichever way

2 Patchwork

Patchwork is the method of sewing small pieces of fabric (patches) of different patterns and colours together to make a big fabric piece . This technique is also called piece work ; You can make stunning garments and accessories with patchwork fabric.

7 Couching

This technique uses cords, threads and other materials which are then stitched on to the fabric surface. The thread is laid on the surface of the fabric in a pattern and it is sewn with small stitches by hand or by sewing machine. Checkout the post on 4 ways to do couching for more details

8 Fabric painting

Fabric painting uses a specially formulated paint to make designs on fabric. You can use the fabric paint to add dimensional effect to the fabric as well

10 Printing on Fabric

Printing on fabric is a great way to add designs on your clothes. You can add any designs to the the fabric without any sewing involved using your inkjet printer at home. Commercially there are many techniques for printing on fabric .Checkout the post on inkjet fabric printing that you can do on your own

11 Reverse Applique

This technique involves adding a layer of fabric underneath the base fabric and cutting away a portion of the base fabric in the shape of the design so that the fabric underneath is revealed. You can add multiple layers of fabric underneath for a beautiful effect.

13 Felting

Felting is a process by which wool fibers are agitated ( by hand or by machine) to make fabric. Needle felting and wet felting are the two methods used to make the felted fabric. Felted fabric looks beautiful and can be used to make and decorate garments and accessories

14 Fabric Flowers

You can make beautiful flowers using fabric pieces to decorate your garments. The fabric scraps you have at hand if you have been sewing for some time can be transformed into beautiful almost real looking fabric flowers very easily

18 Piping

Piping is a technique of adding a special type of trim which is made by inserting a cord inside a bias fabric strip.The piping is added to the seam as a decorative trim.

19 Tucks

Tucks are folds in fabric which are sewn in place. Pintucks are my favourite. As the name suggests these are tiny folds which are sewn in place close to the fold. They contain the fullness of fabric as well as add texture .Pintucks are made using pintuck foot and double needle stitching

20 Sewing Machine Embroidery

You can use embroidery sewing machines to make incredible designs on your fabric. Free motion embroidery involves making embroidery designs using your regular sewing machine with a darning foot and hooped fabric. This easy to do embroidery can make some amazing embroidery patterns and great texture as well. Checkout the post on free motion embroidery for more details

22 Sequins work

23 Gold work and zari work

Gold work uses metal threads in gold and silver colour to make embroidery patterns on fabric. This is a beautiful embroidery technique. Zardosi work uses a special type of gold string to work the embroidery designs. The needle and thread is inserted through the hole in the zardosi strings and the work is completed like this.Checkout the post on 12 types of metallic threads you can use for metallic embroidery

24 Ruffles

Ruffles are pleated or gathered fabric or trims used to decorate garments and accessories. Checkout this post on gathering fabric for more details

27 Using roulette loops

28 Bobbin work

This is a technique of doing embroidery with thick threads in the bobbin. The work will apprear on the underside of the fabric facing the needle. This is a wonderful way to add texture to fabric. Checkout the post on bobbin work for more details

29 Ruching

Ruching is basically gathering fabric so that there are patterned fold in the fabric; It is also called puffing in heirloom embroidery. Ruching is usually done along the bodice of dresses and sleeves along the center line which is ruched creating attractive folds on either side of the center stitching line. You can ruch fabric by sewing the fabric with elastic . This is usually done with thin, sheer and transparent fabric as an overlay or a drapable cloth.

30 Dyeing

Dyeing involves adding colour to the fabric by way of soaking it in a solution of dye. You can dye a fabric fully or partially ; Batik, tie and dye, shibori dyeing are all variations of dyeing fabric to bring about beautiful patterns on fabric surface

31 Stamping

This is a variation of diy block printing – you stamp on fabric surface with fabric laden stamps – you can diy stamps or buy from stores. Fabric paint ink pads are also available.

32 Smocking

Smocking involves stitching together gathered folds of fabric with pretty embroidery stitches in a definite pattern. Smocking is a means of controlling fullness as well as adding beautiful embroidery to the fabric.Checkout the post on smocking

36 YoYos

A fabric yoyo is a gathered circle of fabric piece with small running stitches. The resultant fabric yoyos which resemble flowers are great for decorating fabrics

37 Decorative pleats

Pleats like box pleats, inverted pleats are all great ways of making the fabric look beautiful. Checkout the different types of pleats in the post here

38 Tassels

Tassels are loose threads gathered together at one end ; They are great for embellishing the hems of scarves and shawls ; Adding them to the end of drawstrings are common as well.Cehckout the different ways of making tassels on this post

39 Mirror work

40 Shrinking fabric

Shrinking different layers of fabric differently will produce texture on the face of the fabric. This technique is better detailed here

41 Adding textured fabric as accent features

When you have a garment with a smooth surface you can add texture to it by adding fabric pieces with texture like denim, pleather, leather, canvas, embroidered fabric to make yokes, collars or top hem of pockets, sleeve cuffs etc.

42 Distressed fabric

Weathering or distressing fabric is a technique of making the fabric look old by using various methods like using a pumice stone or wire brush to wear the thread or using paint to make it look used. Checkout the 15 ways to distress fabric as well as the correct way to rip fabric while leaving horizontal thread intact

43.Embossing

This refers to making an impression of images or designs on the surface of a fabric with the help of heat and pressure. This is also called Blind Printing, and Relief Printing. A raised or lowered imprint of the design is made with stamps and application of heat.

44.Open work

Drawn thread embroidery involves pulling out thread from the fabric and knotting the thread left in bundles or using decorative stitches over the drawn thread. This creates an open work with great texture on the fabric . Checkout the tutorial for drawn thread embroidery for more details. Cutwork, Hardanger embroidery, Borderie Anglaise are all open work which creates similar texture.

45 Stencilling

Stencilling creates patterns and designs on fabric surface with the help of thin cut out stencils made of metal, plastic, paper or wood. The holes in the stencil forms the designs on the fabric. Checkout the post on making your own stencils for more details

Fabric texture is an important element of fashion. It can even affect your mood – the way your fabric looks and feels is intricately involved with our emotional wellbeing as well – I donot say this , but the learned scientists says so. Who am I to argue?.

I can simply go on creating these beautiful textures with the fabric manipulation and other techniques outlined here – what do you do other than this for fabric texture?